THE THREE BROTHERS
The Three Brothers are a trio of Fantasian privateers, known for two things: their ability to fight together as one, and their hatred of the Terrible Tyger.
Originally, there were seven brothers, loyal troopers of the 2nd Company of the 4th Disant Brigade, 354th Shock Army, serving with bravery, if not distinction, during Operation Cedar Falls. A group of brothers, serving together as a
squad, were exactly the sort of raw material State Propaganda prized.
Ready made heroes.
Even better, the brothers Izumov truly were potential heroes. Raised on tales of heroic relatives who fought for the glory of the State, their hearts burned with the desire to fight for their people and Glorious Leader. Their uncle, Kommisar Anatoly Izumov, saw the promise in his nephews, and did what he could to nurture it. His yearly visits on leave were the high point of the young Fantasians' year; devoted to hiking and drills with their uncle, punctuated with lessons on political doctrine and loyalty to the State.
Despite the youngest brothers being underage, their beloved uncle was able to call in favours in order to allow all seven to volunteer for the military on the same day. Behind the scenes, the Propaganda Ministry made certain the Izumov brothers received the best training and equipment; and far better food, as good as Grandmother Yaga's back home. With unexpected subtlety, the Ministry made them popular among their fellow trainees by feeding them just as well, while making it clear it was the brothers who had, through hard work and devotion to the State, earned them this bounty.
And so, their legend began.
Upon completion of training the brothers were assigned to the 2nd Company of the 4th Disant Brigade, in the 354th Shock Army. By this point, the oldest brother, Vasily, had been made Corporal, and used his rank to watch over and keep his brothers, exuberant with the knowledge they were finally going to see battle, in line. The brothers Izumov saw their first action on Vologoro, skirmishing with human bandits. Their assault on, and capture of, the alien criminals drop ship, pleased both political and propaganda purposes.
For 5 years, the Propaganda Ministry carefully made certain the brothers were always involved in high profile, photogenic actions. While the actions were very real, behind the scenes considerable effort went into making certain recording crews were focused on the brothers. The brothers were aware of their roles in State propaganda; indeed, they were inspired by the knowledge of how they helped bolster the morale of their fellow troops and citizens. This inspired them to even greater acts of heroism, dutifully recorded and transmitted by political officers.
This changed 10 years ago, when the Fourth Disant Brigade was deployed to crush a Machine outbreak in the Kural system. What had seemed the matter of a clean strike against an exposed enemy turned into a series of ambushes and traps that frustrated the commanders and troops alike. Despite the constant trickle of casualties, elements of the 4th Disant continued to press forward towards the suspected Legion facility the Machines were defending.
Unknown to the rank and file, the Terrible Tyger was the intellect behind the Machine strategy. Military Intelligence had been tracking the Tyger as it hunted the fringes of Fantasian space for nearly a full year and were certain it was on Kural 4. This coincided with massive famines in 3 different systems and the potential for civil unrest. The Glorious Leader of the Fantasian people required a distraction, and an ambitious lackey offered a solution.
The Tyger's head, or martyrs.
The Propaganda Ministry began to counterbalance coverage of the brothers with broadcasts detailing the predations of the Tyger. the Tyger became the focus for the fear and hatred of the Fantasian people, who were united in their hunger for its destruction. Naturally, with only the smallest of nudges, the people began to demand the Brothers Izumov be sent to remove this threat to the State.
The brothers' platoon was tasked with holding a forward listening post in preparation for mechanized push through Legion lines. For their part, the brothers were eager to test their meddle against the infamous Omega Fiend. It was true that the Tyger was a fearsome foe that had haunted battlefields for nearly a century, seemingly unstoppable, but there were seven brothers, experienced and well equipped. They had killed numerous Fiends already, as well as countless other Machines, they had fought bandits and smugglers of all races, what was one more Machine?
What the brothers did not know was that the State was taking no chances, no cost was too high to ensure the destruction of a threat like the Tyger. And so, what the brothers thought was part of the communications and sensor equipment was, in reality, an explosive device.
So far as the Fantasian people know, all the Brothers Izumov died that day, bringing down the Terrible Tyger in glorious battle. Their State funeral was broadcast on all stations and channels, the Glorious Leader Himself giving the eulogy, and affixing medals to the each of the seven closed caskets.
The martyrdom of the brothers served its purpose, distracting the people from famine, with his appearance at the funeral strengthening the Glorious Leader's position.
From the shadows, the three surviving brothers watched, and understood the true reason for the loss of their siblings: political machinations. More telling, the bomb itself had killed two of them; the State not only sacrificed them, it hadn't truly believed in them. Shaken to their hearts by this knowledge, the last brothers turned their back on the State.
Disguising themselves, and stealing the ID's from fallen troopers, they lifted off world on a supply ship, and jumped ship on a world known for a Privateer presence. Under the leadership of the Wolf, the brothers became entangled in the local black market, first as enforcers, then as middlemen in the lucrative chocolate trade. They gained a reputation for using speed and violence in their dealings with local gangs, moving their way up the hierarchy of criminals.
Eventually, the brothers bought themselves positions in the Falkov clan of privateers. After hearing tales of the Tyger's survival, the Three Brothers, as they are known, used their contacts to track the appearances of the Terrible Tyger, determined to avenge the deaths of their siblings.
The Wolf
The oldest of the surviving brothers, and likely the most intelligent is the Wolf. Made a corporal as much for his ability to control his brothers as for being a good soldier, the Wolf watched over his siblings and organized most of their scams. As a privateer, Wolf picks and chooses which smuggling runs to buy into, and to escort.
The Wolf has always favoured a PPSH as his personal weapon, due to its utility both on the battlefield and in settling disputes during negotiations with other smugglers. His Tokarev pistols were taken from the cold hands of the Kommisar responsible for sending his family to their deaths. To other Fantasians, these trophies mark him as a dangerous man to cross, with nothing to lose.
The Rat
Smallest of the brothers, the Rat is the quietest and most cunning. Wolf picks their fights, but the Rat picks the ground. In combat, as a sniper, Rat gives long range fire support, killing leaders or the strongest foes before his brothers can be over run. It was his ability as a sniper that drove off the Tyger during their encounter with the Omega Fiend. The Rat is seldom seen without his customized gilly cloak, gifted to him by his beloved grandmother.
The Bear
Largest of the brothers, the Bear carries a PKM squad support weapon, relying on his brothers to pin down targets to enable him to close range with his “can opener” and remove the obstacle. The Bear has as much a taste for sweets as his namesake, spending battles in a frenzied sugar high surrounded by the smell of butterscotch.
All three brothers each carry a pair of Gauss grenades, both for their utility against
PBA, and to always be prepared for when they finally track the Tyger to its lair.
https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/legions-of-steel-lore/the-three-brothers-full-background
